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    Photomatix Essentials HDR plug in

    I recently posted an image of St Martins-in-the-Fields that I had taken with +/-2 auto bracketed exposure, but not having any HDR software I ignored the over-exposed image, then used PSE to pull as much detail as I could by lifting the shadows in the straight exposure, and added the window detail in from the under-exposed shot by using a layer mask.
    About an hours work overall:

    St Martin-in-the-Fields
    by AlexR!, on Flickr

    I then went away to look into HDR software, and decided that I would probably give Aurora a go (the standalone version for £29 seemed an easy risk). Coincidentally I then opened up a previous edition of Digital Photo mag which I hadn't got around to reading and it offered a freebie Photomatix HDR plug-in. So I downloaded it and ran it against all 3 of the RAW images. The following image was the closest to what I wanted of the various template options, straight up with no editing or fiddling, overall about 5 minutes work (once I'd learned the process):


    St Martin-in-the-Fields Photomatix HDR
    by AlexR!, on Flickr

    Any thoughts on which is better? I'd say my original version has slightly richer colours, but I suspect that if I spent more time fiddling with the Photomatix version as my starting point I'd get a better solution yet. But I think I'll still give Aurora a go anyway, on Ian's recommendation.
    Canon EOS 7D
    EF-S 10-22mm 1:3.5-4.5 USM, EF 24-105mm 1:4 L IS USM, EF 50mm 1:1.8, EF 70-300mm 1:4-5.6 IS USM
    Luminar 4, Aurora HDR Pro, Silver Efex
    flickr: http://flic.kr/ps/LXWuy

    #2
    Re: Photomatix Essentials HDR plug in

    Alex, in looking at the 2 images, the 1st image has the tonal crispness that the 2nd seems to be lacking. That said, I think if you brought the 2nd image back into LR you could obtain the same effect as you have done in the 1st image, but in less time.

    Tom

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Photomatix Essentials HDR plug in

      Originally posted by tesarver View Post
      Alex, in looking at the 2 images, the 1st image has the tonal crispness that the 2nd seems to be lacking. That said, I think if you brought the 2nd image back into LR you could obtain the same effect as you have done in the 1st image, but in less time.

      Tom
      Tom has it spot on and the biggest most efficient message in your comment is time. An hour fiddling to achieve the result or 5 mins to get darn close. Imagine what you can achieve in 15 mins once you get to grips with Aurora?
      I'm always one for trying something new, usually giving up and never using again it. With Aurora it's a pleasure to use as I know the outcome is going to be what I set out for. Works as well for a single exposure or HDR.
      By the way, I am not sponsor by them
      Alan.

      7D2, 24-105 L / 70-200 F2.8 ii L / 50 F1.8 prime / Sigma 10-20 F4-F5.6

      Website www.alanreeve.co.uk

      Please take a look https://www.flickr.com/photos/82149274@N07/sets & https://www.facebook.com/reevephotography

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Photomatix Essentials HDR plug in

        I'll be interested to see what result you get with Aurora over photomatix as I could never get on with that. As you know I'm a great fan of Aurora as it does produce some great images with next to no editing time and certainly not the hour you spent on your first edit

        I downloaded a PS plug in called Lumenzia to see how I would get on with that for merging and burning just to try another way rather than always going the HDR software route - Whilst I'm still trying to learn one of the recent videos I watched the guy took 2 hours to edit an image that I know I could have done within a few minutes with Aurora, but I'm still giving it a chance just in case I prefer it, unlikely

        Looking at your two images, yes I agree the first is better, but I think you'll be pleased with Aurora and will achieve the same if not better in a fraction of the time ... Also I'd love to have a try at editing the images, so if you could upload the Raw images to dropbox it could be interesting, I'm sure Alan would love a pop as well
        :- Ian

        5D Mk III, 24-105 / 70-200 f2.8 L / 100-400 Mk II / 100 macro / 16-35 L / 11-24 L / 1.4 & 2x converters and a bad back carrying it all ;o)

        :- https://www.flickr.com/photos/fotosespana/

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Photomatix Essentials HDR plug in

          Tom, Alan, Ian, my thoughts exactly. A lot of my time was spent in just fiddling about, deciding which to use as my 'base image', aligning them and also in sorting out CA (I get quite a bit on my 24-105 shooting into the light - one unexpected advantage of HDR software seems to be that this gets helped). To get all that time back to put into actually improving the image would be great.

          Originally posted by Tigger View Post
          Also I'd love to have a try at editing the images, so if you could upload the Raw images to dropbox it could be interesting, I'm sure Alan would love a pop as well
          Ian, that is very kind of you, I would love to see what you would get in Aurora and therefore what I should be aiming for. I have just created a dropbox account, I think I need you to pm me an email address for me to share. Please feel free to post any results back to this thread, or to me and I will do it. If anyone else fancies ago, fill your boots, just pm me and let's have an 'HDR-off'!
          Canon EOS 7D
          EF-S 10-22mm 1:3.5-4.5 USM, EF 24-105mm 1:4 L IS USM, EF 50mm 1:1.8, EF 70-300mm 1:4-5.6 IS USM
          Luminar 4, Aurora HDR Pro, Silver Efex
          flickr: http://flic.kr/ps/LXWuy

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Photomatix Essentials HDR plug in

            Originally posted by AlexR! View Post
            I think I need you to pm me an email address for me to share.
            I have never used Dropbox before, but it just struck me that actually I just need to send you the link, so I have pm'd it to you. Does that work?
            Canon EOS 7D
            EF-S 10-22mm 1:3.5-4.5 USM, EF 24-105mm 1:4 L IS USM, EF 50mm 1:1.8, EF 70-300mm 1:4-5.6 IS USM
            Luminar 4, Aurora HDR Pro, Silver Efex
            flickr: http://flic.kr/ps/LXWuy

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Photomatix Essentials HDR plug in

              yep got the images I'll have a quick look although being nagged about "PLAYING" grrrrr on the Mac when I supposed to be gardening ....wives

              I've added it onto my flickr account but will delete later - I used a preset so just imported it into Aurora and clicked one for indoors - I'd say its done ok and took me longer to type this than do the edit

              not my image by Ian Theobald, on Flickr
              Last edited by Tigger; 06-02-2016, 13:26.
              :- Ian

              5D Mk III, 24-105 / 70-200 f2.8 L / 100-400 Mk II / 100 macro / 16-35 L / 11-24 L / 1.4 & 2x converters and a bad back carrying it all ;o)

              :- https://www.flickr.com/photos/fotosespana/

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Photomatix Essentials HDR plug in

                Ian, that is great, thanks for doing it and showing it. Hope you didn't get in too much trouble; thankfully it is blowing a gale outside here so no pressure to get into the garden.
                Obviously it has defaulted a lot brighter (I thought you had an automatic 'darkest possible goth' setting that you always used... ) but I know there will be other pre-sets. So ignoring that, it strikes me that there is a lot of extra detail evident in the ceiling decorations and extra texture in the floor. You've convinced me, with that as my starting point I should end up with a better result in less time than before. Aurora here I come...
                Canon EOS 7D
                EF-S 10-22mm 1:3.5-4.5 USM, EF 24-105mm 1:4 L IS USM, EF 50mm 1:1.8, EF 70-300mm 1:4-5.6 IS USM
                Luminar 4, Aurora HDR Pro, Silver Efex
                flickr: http://flic.kr/ps/LXWuy

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Photomatix Essentials HDR plug in

                  nah just eating lunch so got away with a quick edit ;o)

                  it pulled it in pretty light and I could have reduced it down to similar to yours but I did like the detail it pulled out - when getting it get the Pro version as that comes with the presets as they are very handy and offer a good starting block

                  right gardening grrrrrrr
                  :- Ian

                  5D Mk III, 24-105 / 70-200 f2.8 L / 100-400 Mk II / 100 macro / 16-35 L / 11-24 L / 1.4 & 2x converters and a bad back carrying it all ;o)

                  :- https://www.flickr.com/photos/fotosespana/

                  Comment

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